The Japanese Ministry
of Defence has ordered four Bushmaster
4x4 armoured vehicles for deployment with the Japan Ground Self-Defence
Force (JGSDF). The vehicles, all troop carrier variants, will be manufactured
at the company’s facility in Bendigo, Victoria in Australia, for
delivery in late 2014.

Bushmaster
4x4 armoured vehicle personnel of Australian army was deployed in Afghanistan.

Thales Australia
CEO Chris Jenkins said: “This new export order demonstrates the
ongoing significance and versatility of the Bushmaster vehicle.

With effective operational deployment across Afghanistan and Iraq, the
Bushmaster has proven its effectiveness across
urban landscapes as well as mountainous regions, making it uniquely
suited to Japan’s geographic and urban environments.

This is the first time that Thales is providing platforms to Japan.
Our aim is to be customer focused and to offer Thales Group’s
seamless and convenient services and technologies to our customers in
Japan. We look forward to working closely with the Japanese Ground Self-Defence
Force as these vehicles enter service.”

The standard Bushmaster Thales is equipped with a remote weapon station,
armed with a 5,56 mm or 12,7 mm machine gun.

Bushmaster
provides a unique level of protection and survivability through its
mobility, monocoque veeshaped armoured hull, and passive and active
protection measures. An additionnal armour can be mounted to the hull
of the vehicle.

The Thales Bushmaster is a true success story with over 1,000 vehicles
already sold in Australia, the Netherlands and Jamaica.